Splicing structure for canted rails



APll29, 1930. v. c. ARMSTRONG 1,756,330

SPLIGING STRUCTURE FOR CANTED RAILS Filed Aug' 5, 1929 4 sheets-sheet' 1 April29, 1930. v. c. ARMSTRONG 1,756,330

' K SPLICING STRUCTURE FOR CANTED RAILS Filed Aug. 5I 1929 4 Shees-Sheet4 2 gym/nm 27562-07' c. mwa@ April 29, 1930. v. c. AMSTRONG 1,756,330

SPLICING STRUCTURE FOR CANTED RAILS Filed Aug. 5, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 29, 1930. y

V. C. ARMSTRONG SPLICING STRUCTURE FOR CANTED RAILS y Filed Aug. 5, 1929 4. Sheets-Sheet 4- Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE VICTOR C. ARMSTRONG, OF HACKENSACK, NEIN JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A. CORPORATION OF NET 'YORK SPLICING STRUCTURE FOR CANTED RAILS Application led August 5, 1929. Serial No. 383,448.

This invention relates to railljoints, and has particular reference to the splicing of canted rails with one another and with flat or noncanted rails.

As is well known to those familiar with track conditions, there is a tendency of rails in both straight and curved sectionsDof track to roll out or become tilted outwardly due to the combination of vertical and lateral forces acting upon the head of the rail, thus causing undesirable disalinement and spreading of the rails. This may, at least in part, be eliminated, however, by laying the rails so as to bring the vertical center line of the rail approximately coincident with the resultant of the vertical and lateral forces acting on the rail, i. e., by canting the rails, and'for this reason some railroads employ canted rails to a considerable extent.

The degree of inclination or cant given any particular rail depends, of course, upon the conditions' surrounding the location of that rail in a track. In other words, at a particular location in a track, it may be desirable to employ a rail having greater or less cant than a rail at another location in the track, and on the other hand, it may be desirable under some conditions to employ acanted rail or rails along a particular section of track and a vertical or non-canted rail or rails along another section of the track. Furthermore, the so-called headfree rail disclosed in the Thomsonl patents, Reissue No. 15,77 3 and No. 1,507,870, is being incorporated in track with both worn and unworn standard vertical and canted rails.

Thus, manifestly several diferent problems in the splicing of rails are presented by the use of canted rails. First, there is the problem of providing an eiiicient splice between two canted standard rails having the same degree of cant. Second, therev is the problem of providing an efficient splice between two standard rails having different degrees of cant, respectively. Third, there is the problem of providing an efficient splice between a standard rail and a headfree rail each having the same degree of cant. Fourth, there is the problem of providing anefcient splice between a standard rail vand a headfree height or section between the rails to be united. Y a

In instances where like rails having the same degree of cant are to be connected, the problem of providing a satisfactory splice between them is relatively simple, since both ends of the joint bar partake of the same movement and the ends of the barmay therefore be formed alike. In instances where the rails have different degrees of cant, the problem becomes difficult, as manifestly it is neither'practicable nor desirable to provide a bar different in its structural characteristics for each different joint. Therefore, the general purpose of the present invention is to provide a joint bar having the same structural characteristics for all canted rail combinations, the bar merely being varied in size to fit rails of dierent size, and in the relative amount of vertical and lateral offset of its ends to compensate for Ivariations in the height and section of the rails.

In the light of the foregoing, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter 'more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views Figure l is aside elevation illustrating a representative canted rail joint effected in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

i Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direct-ion of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figures 2 and 3 but illustrating a standard horizontally seated vertical rail spliced to a headfree canted rail; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to the sectional view of Fig. 2 but illustrating the invention applied to two standard type canted rails having a different degree of cant and with joint bars of the 100% type having head contact fishing with these rails.

4Referring to the drawings in details, It, R designate, generally the rails, and J the present joint bar for splicing said rails. This joint can be made by bulldozing, casting or forging.

As illustrated in Figures 1-5 of the drawings, one of the rails R is of standard construction and other R is headfree, that is,

the former is inclusive of a flat fishing suri face 10 on the underside of its head adapted under ordinary conditions to be engaged by the head of a joint bar, whereas the head 11 of the latter rail R is of truncated design and devoid of any flat fishing surface on the underside of its head, loading engagement of the head of a joint bar with a rail of this type being essentially with the head fillet 12 of the rail, andthe top of the bar being spaced from the under face of the rail for reasons fully explained in the aforesaid Thomson j patents.

, joint bar, since the latter is designed to prosection between the respective rails.

vide an equally eiiicient and satisfactory splice whether the rails are both of the standard type, as suggested in Figs. 5 and 6, or both of the headfree type.

In Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings both rails R-R are shown canted, the headfree rail having a greater degreeof cant than the -standard rail. Moreover, the headfree rail is indicated as being of greater height than the standard rail, so that in order to bring the surface and gage of the rails into alinement it is necessary to elevate the standard rail relative to the headfree rail.

According to the example given in Figs. 1-4, the joint bar J is formed of the same fishing construction throughout its length, its separate halves, if necessary, being vertically and laterally offset as at X with respect to one another to compensate for any difference which may exist in the height and With such a bar the same movement of each end thereof iseifective to secureproper fit of each end thereof with the rails, the movement of the bar into operative engagement with each rail being upward and outward. With this construction it is immaterial whether one rail is vertical or non-canted and the other canted, whether both rails are canted the same amount or one more than the other, whether the rails are both of the standard or headfree type or one of one type and the other of the other type, and whether the rails are of the same or of different height and section* the one type of bar providing an equally Strong and satisfactory' splice for any combination of the rails. This follows from the fact that a bar of headfree construction at each end thereof may partake of the same movement at each end and be engaged by such movement properly with its related rail irrespective of the type or the amount of cant thereof. Thus, by reason of the present bar any twisting or oppositely directed strains being set up in the bar are avoided when the joint bolts are tightened and the resulting joint possesses equal strength with respect to each rail. Moreover, as is by now apparent, the present bar is capable of being rolled and bulldozed or forged to provide any necessaryT vertical and lateral offset between its ends to compensate for any difference in cant or in the height and section between the rails.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings is illustrated the adaptation of the invention to two standard rails respectively canted at different degrees and the joint bars being of the 100% head contract type.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims. C

I claim 1. In a rail joint, the relatively canted rails, and a joint bar having an o'set adapting the ba r to the differential relative degree of cant between the two rails.

2. In a rail joint, the relatively canted rails, and a joint bar of the same fishing construction for both ends and having a medial offset adapting the bar to the dierential re1- ative degree of cant between the two rails.

3. In a rail j oint, the relatively canted rails, and a joint bar fitting both rails and having an offset adapting the bar to the canting adapted to have head clearance from the underside of the head of each rail and loading engagement with the head fillet of each rail.

4. In a rail joint, the rails, one of which is canted with respect to the other, and a joint bar adapted to have head clearance from the underside of the head of each rail and loading engagement with the head fillet of each rail.

5. In a rail joint, the rails, one of which has flat fishing surfaces on the underside of its head and the other which has no flat fishing surfaces on the underside of its head and one of which is canted with respect to the other,

and a joint bar having at its upper inner corner a rounded bearing member adapted to have a loading engagement in and against the head fillet of each rail.

6. In a rail joint, the rails, both of which are c'anted and one of which has fiat fishing surfaces on the underside of its head, and a joint bar having at its upper inner corner a rounded bearing member ada ted to have loading engagement in and agalnst the head fillet of each rail.

7 In a rail joint, the rails, both of which are canted one toa greater degree than the other and one of which has iat fishing surfaces on the underside of its head, and a joint bar having at its upper inner corner a rounded bearing member adapted to have loading engagement in and against the head llet of leach rail.

8. In a rail joint, the rails of diierent height and section and one of which is canted,

and a joint bar having its ends verticali and laterally offset to compensate for the i'erence in the bar being adapted to have head clearance from the underside of the headof each rail and loading engagement at its head solely with the head fillet of each rail.

In testimony whereof l hereunto aix my signature. s

' VICTOR C. ARMSTRONG.

height and section of the rails, said 

